Our Best Budget Travel Secrets

We know what you want in a vacation: unique experiences, the best hotels, and spectacular shopping. And you want it all for less. No problem. Our experts offer the best insider tips from the road―plus exclusive hotel deals just for our readers.

25¢ Try 25-cent martinis for lunch at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans. We like the namesake martini, made with vodka, lemon juice, simple syrup, blue curaçao, and a splash of Sprite.

75¢ Try 75-cent margaritas with the purchase of an entrée on Wednesdays at Monica’s Aca y Alla in the Deep Ellum neighborhood of Dallas. On Tuesdays, entrées are half-price.

25¢ Try 25-cent chicken wings on Tuesdays at Capitol Lounge in Washington, D.C. (Amos Snead, an Alabama boy who worked on Capitol Hill for five years, says, “It’s one of the only bars in America that goes drop-dead silent when the State of the Union address starts.”) Steps from the Capitol, the lounge is classically styled and filled with political memorabilia.

How to Get World-Famous Stone Crabs for 67% Less At Joe’s Stone Crab Restaurant, once a Sinatra hangout in Miami, an iced plate of those succulent, rose-tinted claws is still seafood’s holy grail. However, a 10-person supper here at $67 per plate of jumbo claws = $670! But whether or not you’re on the road, here’s a deal that will bring the South Florida flavor to your table―and save you hundreds.How we saved $445: We ordered directly from the source―Grimm’s Stone Crab of Everglades City, stone crab capitol of Florida. The Grimms have been in the crabbing business for two generations. They catch, boil, dry ice, and ship (all in two days) to crab-craving buyers nationwide. Get 15 freshly caught pounds for 10 friends in Atlanta, shipping included, for just $225.Contact: www.crabsr.usor (239) 695-3222